This article is from page 2 of the 2006-12-05 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
There are more children with special needs per head of population awaiting speech therapy services in Clare than anywhere else in the HSE western area.
As many as 453 Clare children are still waiting assessment for the service where early intervention is vital, just one child less than in Galway city and county together.
There are currently 13 speech therapists employed in the county, to cater not just for children but all aged groups including adults and elderly.
Therefore the waiting time for children with special needs is estimated at four months.
Just one therapist is in situ to cater for all children with special needs aged from six to 18.
It emerged this week that there were 4.5 posts vacant for this muchneeded service in the county, despite earlier information published by the HSE West that there were 15 posts filled and 15 vacant.
Three of the 4.5 vacant positions are in the services for children over five years old.
The vacancies are for senior positions to supervise basic service. There are very few senior therapists available to the HSE however.
“A major recruitment drive has been undertaken as part of the development of the primary care service to recruit additional speech and language therapists. It is also proposed to have an international recruitment campaign for speech and language therapists, with a view to filling all vacant positions within the Health Service Executive areas,” the HSE said.
While the HSE is trying to recruit, however, frustrated parents in Clare have taken on the responsibility themselves and have raised money to employ a Canadian therapist to begin a new clinic in Ennis for children with Cerebral Palsey.
Meanwhile, Green Party County Councillor Brian Meaney has described the incorrect, information relating to speech therapy statistics released earlier in the week at the HSE Regional Forum as “an example of an ever increasing lack of accountability.”
The councillor who is one of four Clare representatives on the forum said that after the information was disclosed, he tried to ascertain the accuracy of the information but the system did not allow him to do so.
“This total absence of a good information system means it is impossible to determine an accurate assessment of performance, or lack of, and the significance and scale of shortfalls, problems and difficulties.”
“What measures are being taken to encourage trained therapists back into the service?” he asked.